Table 1.
Characteristics of Emergency Department patients admitted to the hospital with an infection. Odds ratios and p-values reflect differences between EMS vs. non-EMS patients. EMS: Emergency Medical Services.
| Patient characteristic | EMS (n= 1576) n (%) | Non-EMS (n = 3037) n (%) | Total (n = 4613) n (%) | Odds ratio (95% CI) or p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age–mean (95% CI) | 69.4 (68.6–70.3) | 55.1 (54.4–55.8) | 60.0 (59.4–60.6) | t-Test p < 0.001 |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 703 (44.6%) | 1533 (50.5%) | 2236 (48.5%) | 0.8 (0.7–0.9) |
| Female | 873 (55.4%) | 1504 (49.5%) | 2377 (51.5%) | Referent |
| Ethnic category | ||||
| White | 1129 (71.6%) | 2239 (73.7%) | 3368 (73.0%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.0) |
| Black or African American | 236 (15.0%) | 317 (10.4%) | 553 (12.0%) | 1.5 (1.3–1.8) |
| Asian | 39 (2.5%) | 87 (2.9%) | 126 (2.7%) | 0.9 (0.6–1.3) |
| Hispanic or Latino | 63 (4.0%) | 156 (5.1%) | 219 (4.8%) | 0.7 (0.6–1.0) |
| American Indian or Alaskan | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (0.06%) | 2 (0.04%) | 0.0 (0.0–3.7) |
| Other | 30 (1.9%) | 66 (2.2%) | 96 (2.1%) | 0.9 (0.5–1.4) |
| Unknown | 79 (5.0%) | 170 (5.6%) | 249 (5.4%) | 0.9 (0.7–1.2) |
| Nursing home or rehabilitation facility patient | 376 (23.9%) | 67 (2.2%) | 443 (9.6%) | 13.9 (10.6–18.4) |
| Emergency Department Triage Hemodynamic Instability | ||||
| Tachycardia (heart rate ≥90 beats/min) | 827 (52.5%) | 1637 (53.9%) | 2464 (53.4%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.1) |
| Tachypnea (respiratory rate ≥20 breaths/min) | 779 (49.4%) | 872 (28.7%) | 1651 (35.8%) | 2.4 (2.1–2.8) |
| Hypoxia (SaO2 ≤90%) | 160 (10.2%) | 109 (3.6%) | 269 (5.8%) | 3.0 (2.4–3.9) |
| Hypotension (systolic blood pressure ≤90 mm Hg) | 129 (8.2%) | 118 (3.9%) | 247 (5.4%) | 2.2 (1.7–2.9) |
| Serum lactate level–mean (95% CI) | 2.37 (2.3–2.5) | 1.87 (1.8–1.9) | 2.05 (2.0–2.1) | t-Test p < 0.001 |